Wednesday, November 6, 1996
ELECTIONS:
Government remains divided as GOP keeps control of CongressBy
John Digrado
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
It seems that President Clinton will be allowed to build his
bridge to the 21st century after all.
Given the final go-ahead in an election decided by barely half
the popular vote, Americans made history Tuesday in electing
Clinton to a second term in office  only the second Democrat
in this century given the voters’ approval to lead the country for
another term.
Momentarily fending off nagging questions about his character
raised by former Kansas senator and Republican candidate Bob Dole
in the last days of the campaign, Clinton swept through the
nation’s electorate, garnering 49 percent of the vote at press
time, with 89 percent of the nation’s precincts reporting.
Dole finished the race with 41 percent of the vote, while Perot
finished a distant third with 8 percent.
Victories in 29 states and the District of Columbia gave Clinton
377 electoral votes  well above the necessary 270. An
electoral landslide assured, Clinton had one last hope for the
night: that Perot’s candidacy would not cost him a majority of the
popular vote.
Although Clinton appeared to miss that milestone by one scant
percentage point, he optimistically turned his sights toward the
next four years.
"They have affirmed our cause and told us to go forward,"
Clinton said of voters who returned him to office. But even with
his victory assured, Clinton stressed that Americans were bent on
splitting the balance of power in Washington. "They are sending us
a message: Work together," he said.
Once again, Clinton’s reach will be limited by divided
government, with Republicans holding control of the Senate and
fighting to keep the House, as well.
Four years ago, Clinton promised an explosive opening to his
presidency, an action-packed first 100 days. By most accounts,
those early days were a disaster, marred by controversies over gays
in the military and embarrassing Cabinet appointments.
This time, Clinton is not trying to bring sweeping change to
Washington. His agenda is limited, restrained by budget problems
and the more conservative mood of voters.
At the Democrats’ Victory ’96 party in downtown Los Angeles,
however, Clinton supporters felt that after four years as
president, the American people can only now finally trust Clinton
and his vision for the country.
"He’s a great leader, and he’s prepared to lead the country in
the right direction," said Rachna Choudhry, Victory ’96 organizer
and Youth and Campus coordinator. "The American people now have
faith in him and he’ll be able to do what it is he wants to do with
the country."
But what direction the country should take under the president’s
continued guidance is the question at heart for many Americans
heading into the next four years. While Clinton has stressed that
there will be no major changes in his policies in his next term,
rumors abound that several top administrators may be replaced in
January.
A Cabinet reshuffling is afoot, with Defense Secretary William
Perry, State Secretary Warren Christopher and Energy Secretary
Hazel O’Leary rumored to be leaving the administration. Clinton
might find room for a GOP official high in his administration
 something he considered but rejected four years ago.
"The message for his agenda is that he has to be bipartisan,"
said Dick Morris, Clinton’s former political strategist who
resigned in a sex scandal controversy. "He has to form a national
government, not a Democratic government. He needs to reach out to
Republicans, put some in his Cabinet and bring the legislative
leaders of both parties into his planning," he said.
Observers agreed with Morris, stressing that the potentially
split government will force the president to all but share power
with the Republicans.
"It’s a divided government," said Manny Gonzales, an independent
rooting for Clinton. "He has no choice but to extend an olive
branch to the Republican party," he added. "The next four years are
going to be very interesting."
But sharing that power may prove more than difficult for
Clinton. Angry Republicans want to embarrass Clinton with
investigations of the Democrats’ questionable fund raising among
foreign donors. Democrats are ready to accuse Republicans of
dragging their feet on campaign reform if they balk at legislation
to ban political action committees.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott said Republicans were willing
to work with Clinton on balancing the budget and tax cuts for
families  but sounded skeptical that Clinton would follow
through on his election-year conservative conversion.
"He talks about how the era of big government is over," Lott
told The Associated Press. "We’d like to help him keep his word on
that, keep the government smaller and smarter." In a sobering note
for Clinton, Lott promised tough investigations of questionable
Democratic fund raising from foreign interests.
Even with impressive victories in traditionally Republican
states such as Florida, it will be difficult for Clinton to claim a
mandate.
With America at peace and the economy growing, the message of
the election was: slow and steady as she goes.
"It is time to put politics aside and join together for
America’s future," Clinton said in his victory speech in his home
town of Little Rock, Ark.
"The American people have been closely divided," Clinton said in
his victory speech. "(Voters) are sending us a message: work
together, meet our challenges, put aside the politics of division
and build America’s community together.
"That is what we are here to do, and that is what this election
is all about."
With reports from Daily Bruin wire services.